Ahishar was manager of the palace property. Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.
Parallel translations
- WEB Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.
- KJV And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.
- BSB Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.
- NKJV Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.
- NASB and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the forced labor.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ahishar manages the royal household, and Adoniram oversees forced labor. The list notes both palace administration and large public works.
Overview
The roster concludes with officers over the household and over the labor force used for Solomon's vast building projects. The presence of a chief over forced labor hints at the burdens that would later provoke discontent and contribute to the kingdom's division (12:4). Thus even amid Solomon's glory, a seed of future strain appears in the record.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Kgs 9:15This is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
- 1 Kgs 12:18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
- 2 Sam 20:24Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,
- 1 Kgs 5:13–14King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 4:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.